Sweet! Woman is Baking Free Birthday Cakes for Random Strangers

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) - It’s the one day a year you get to celebrate you!

A New Orleans woman loves birthdays so much, she’s started “The Birthday Cake Project” to spread some birthday cheer with FREE cakes.

23-year old, Louise Neal is taking on the task of baking 30 cakes for 30 random strangers celebrating birthdays each day in the month of June.

Neal is an artist and decided she wanted to do the “Birthday Cake Project” because while growing up she always had a homemade birthday cake. She wanted to spread the same kind of cheer to others.

“There’s definitely a need for homemade cakes in people’s lives. I was struck by the fact that everyday could be a holiday when you’re celebrating someone’s birthday,” Neal said.

Through Kick starter she raised enough money to buy all the cake supplies. She asked people to put in their cake requests online and she was overwhelmed with hundreds of random strangers wanting a free cake to celebrate getting older.

“I got requests from a 6 year old, an 84 year old, twins, people of all ages. I established it was first come, first serve,” she said.

All birthday cakes are custom made, either vanilla or chocolate, with a choice out of 3 frostings. She even makes gluten-free cakes for those with special dietary needs.

“There’s an option of sprinkles or not. I’m really excited by my sprinkle collection,” she said.

The number one ingredient in all her cakes is a just a pinch of love.

“They look like they came from my kitchen. I’m not a professional baker. They are charming, but can look a little awkward at times. I just try to make the best cake I can,” she said.

Baking 30 cakes is a lot of work, but for her making someone’s birthday feel a little more special, makes it totally worth it.

Her “Birthday Cake Project” means much more to Louise than just delivering cakes. She’s documenting each delivery with interviews and photos.

“The people I give the cakes to are revealing their family backgrounds, they talk about aging, and they reveal how they celebrate themselves. It’s interesting,” she added.

One cake at at time, she’s making birthday wishes come true! Now, that really takes the cake!

Later this year, she’s planning on throwing a big city-wide birthday party, so she can share portraits of her “Birthday Cake Project” with everyone.